While You Were Sleeping
by Random Fandom
Summary: What did Inuyasha dream while he was pinned to the tree for 50 years? Here is just my version. I must give total credit for the title to my dear friend Lisa. THANKS LISA! R
1. Introduction and Dream 1

AN:Hi y'all. Welcome to a very special Inuyasha fic. MY FIRST ONE! Well, my first posted one anyways. There is this other one in the works, but…I'm just too lazy to finish it and post it. Hope you enjoy this. It is supposed to be dreams Inuyasha had while pinned to the tree. I try my best, so don't flame me if you don't like it. 

The cold sharp arrow tip bit into his shoulder. Losing control of the Shikon no Tama, it slipped from his clawed grasp. Inuyasha stared at Kikyo, the woman he had loved. She had betrayed him, and now she had pinned him here. Cold anger rushed through his veins, but it was coupled with deepest sorrow and regret. The hard face of the woman glared ruthlessly back at him, she remained silent. Inuyasha couldn't stand that look. He had to know.

"Kikyo. How could…I thought we…" The injured hanyou was unable to finish his sentence. Spell-work placed on the arrow caused him to fall into a deep sleep. Head tipped to the side, his eyes closed. Dreams soon plagued his mind…

Dream 1: Lost Love

Like a broken record those last moments before sleep replayed themselves over and over. He could see the bitter look of hate in Kikyo's eyes. He could smell the hurt and anger on the air. He could also smell blood. The arrow pierced him, but somehow the spell took no effect. He remained awake, and able to talk.

"Kikyo. How could you? I thought we loved each other!" He screamed, his voice dripping with pain. Kikyo smirked, and laughed menacingly. 

"Inuyasha! You are a demon, how could I ever love one such as you?" The girl yelled.

"But…" Inuyasha tried to interject, but Kikyo interrupted.

"Not even full demon! At least if I was to love a demon it would be someone strong, someone who had all the qualities of a desirable full demon. Not some useless pathetic half-breed scum!"

The cold words hit Inuyasha harder than the arrow. She was laughing again, and turning away. With a great swipe of his claws, every nerve of his body fueling hatred, the dog-demon slashed the girl in half. She cut just like paper, becoming flat and two-dimensional. Two pieces, divided at the waistline, swished through the air. Half the paper Kikyo floated away, hitting a river near by. The colors of her kimono, her sash, her bow, all washed off and stained the water. The second half, which happened to be the top half of Kikyo, blew in the wind until it was against Inuyasha. Her eyes were closed and she didn't look remotely evil anymore. For a moment their lips touched, the paper Kikyo's and Inuyasha's, and the girl's did not feel like paper. They felt like a warm embrace. Inuyasha wanted to stay in this moment forever, with the cold unfeeling girl once more by his side.

But things began to melt…Colors swirled, sounds warped, and the whole picture dissolved. Darkness crept around. Then a light shone, and the colors began to come back into view.

AN:After this chapter, it's two dreams a chapter. DIE KIKYO!! I was never in favor of this particular scene, by the way. It only seemed right to show that Inuyasha still had some feeling for that girl, if she can be called a girl that inhumane bitch. I only see Inuyasha with Kagome, but… I hope I'm not offending any KikyoXInuyasha people out there. Don't be mad! R&R please, thankies!


	2. Dreams 2 & 3

Hey, my lines disappeared. Weird…Oh well. Anyways, on to the second chapter! Looking at some other fics I realized something. I forgot my disclaimer!! So…reads from a 4x5 card in a monotone voice Setosgirlfriend does not own Inuyasha, or any of the characters. As much as she would like too…Chapter 2!!

Dream 2: Daddy's Arms

A memory now showed before his eyes, something the boy had thought to have lost. It almost felt like being back there. It was a cold night, but Inuyasha couldn't feel it. His forehead was burning. A hacking cough came from his sore throat every time he opened it. When his eyes opened all they saw was swirled color, there was no distinction. The small doggy ears perched atop his head were utterly useless. He was only six.

No matter what they tried no one could cure Inuyasha. Only a few doctors were even willing to go near the half-breed child. None of them had any comforting words for the mother. Tears came unending from mother's eyes. First the love of her life, now her only son.

Inuyasha's father, Inutaisho, had died from battle shortly before the young hanyou had fallen ill.

So, living in a small shack outside of town, Mother did her best to take care of her sick child. It seemed like ages he had been ill, but in reality it had only been a few short months.

One night, the wind howling through the dilapidated shack, Mother tucked the small half-breed into his bed. She kissed the top of his head, just below his feathery silver hair. She wasn't sure if he noticed. Leaving him to sleep, Mother went to her own bed a few feet away and fell asleep instantly.

Inuyasha wasn't tired. He sat up, head spinning, and stretched. His throat was so sore he couldn't sleep. Wanting a glass of water, he turned to his mother to ask for one but she was sound asleep. Not wanting to wake her, for he noticed how little sleep she got now, he stole out of the room and into the kitchen for a glass of water. Standing before the water basin, the small hanyou reached for a tankard and filled it with water. He drank deeply from the cup, finishing it in a few seconds. After he had filled it again and turned to leave the kitchen, Inuyasha saw it. The tankard came crashing from his hands. Luckily it was wooden so it didn't break. But water spilled out, flowing to the soft feet of…

Inuyasha stared into the pearly face with his own mouth gaping. His hands shook as he saw the milky outline of a man. He was tall, skinny, and wearing finely tailored clothes. The eyes of the man were fiery gold. Scared out of his wits, Inuyasha stared at the ghostly figure of his father.

Inutaisho's ghost smiled at his son. The hard look his face so commonly fell into melted away. He knew his six year old child was frightened, but he stretched his arms out wide anyways. His voice was too rasping to be heard by human ears, but the soft furry dog ears atop Inuyasha's head caught the words.

"My son…" He had said. Tears streaming down his cheeks, the boy ran into his father's arms. He was gripped in a tight hug, the lustrous arms reaching all the way around his frail body. Pulled closer to the figure Inuyasha felt safe and at home. For the first time in weeks he could forget his headache, he could forget his fever. All that mattered to him then was the strangely warm feeling of his father's arms. So inviting, so loving that Inuyasha wanted to stay there forever.

Inutaisho didn't realize that tears were falling down his cheeks too. They were pearly white to match the ghost he had become. Noticing the furry ears, the youkai began to play with them. One of the few demon things about his half-breed son, these ears were a site of pure amusement. Inuyasha giggled. Inutaisho smiled again.

The wind blew through the house, and Inutaisho realized what squalid conditions he had left his family in. He gazed around at the shack and shook his translucent head. Moving a little to the left, he closed the paper-thin curtains that covered a hole supposed to be a window. The ghost youkai wanted to help what he could, fix the house as it was now. But the small hanyou at his waist wasn't about to let go. So he sighed, and lifted the small boy into his arms.

Once more Inuyasha felt the safe content feeling of home. His ghost father, or whatever it was, was carrying him into the bedroom. He saw the chill stars and full moon outside the window beside his bed. He smiled and pointed at a constellation.

"Daddy, that is Sirius. He is Orion's hunter dog." Inuyasha whispered. Inutaisho smiled. He set the small child onto the soft straw bed and covered him with a thin blanket. Smiling wider, the spirit sat itself down at the foot of the bed.

"Yes, son, that is Sirius." He said in that same hoarse whisper. Sighing deeply he watched as Inuyasha fell asleep. As his breathing grew deeper and his eyes stayed shut, Inutaisho knew it was alright to leave his son. Touching his forehead one last time, the phantom murmured a incantation. Then he rose from the bed, and turned to see the beauty of his life lying there on a pile of straw covered by a thin sheet. He gasped.

Her long raven hair flowed out like water around her head. Lips parted ever so slightly, she breathed deep in her slumber. Though they were closed, he knew that she had deep violet eyes. Her radiant voice, her stunning body, her addicting personality, her shining love. How he missed her. Choking back more tears, Inutaisho turned and left the room. He decided to do work on the rest of the house while they slept…

A useful little trick he had picked up somewhere, Inuyasha had learned to act asleep very well. He saw the ghost of his father gaze longingly at Mother. Wishing desperately that he could do something, Inuyasha just closed his gold eyes and slept for real.

Morning came. The water had been cleaned from the floor, the cup replaced in the cupboard. Nothing looked different, at first. Then Mother noticed the new curtains, the new blankets. Mother noticed the repaired walls, and the dusted floor. She gasped in amazement, wondering if she had finally cracked and started cleaning in her sleep. Inuyasha came running to her side, hugging her tight.

"Mother, mother. Daddy was…" the young hanyou tried to tell her, but she gasped and started to rush him back to bed. With many protests, because he now felt better than ever, Inuyasha crawled back into bed and let his mother feel his forehead. She was shocked again.

"Inuyasha! Your fever has cleared! You're all better!" Gathering her child up into her arms, Mother sang at the top of her lungs for all the world to hear. The six year old laughed and giggled with his mom, deciding not to tell her that father had visited. She seemed to already know.

The color swirled again. Darkness surrounded him. His mind slid in and out of focus as this dream ended and blurred into the next. There was only room for one thought in his sleeping mind between these dreams.

'Mother died a few days later.' Inuyasha heard his own voice say, echoing in his empty mind. The colors started to come back, and Inuyasha stared like watching a video that he couldn't control.

Dream 3: Brothers Never Hate

Another memory began flashing in front of his eyes. Inuyasha seemed to be looking down upon from the sky, gazing at a younger form of himself. The younger Inuyasha was sitting by a wide lake, staring into the water. He couldn't be older than 10. In a curious fashion he turned his head from side to side, enjoying the way his reflection mimicked him. Then behind him another reflection showed. The small hanyou jumped up to face his potential attacker.

Standing behind him was a teenage boy of about 14, or at least he looked it. His eyes were a stunning gold color, able to match that of the smaller boy. His clothes were amazing, like that of royalty, and he carried a big furry thing draped over one shoulder. Long silvery hair flowed out around him, adding to the appearance of a stately prince. With a smile that involved a lot of sharp teeth, the teenage youkai put one hand on the small hanyou's shoulder.

"Inuyasha. Careful of the water, or you will fall and sink like a stone to the bottom." voiced the teen. The tone of his voice was oddly sarcastic, but still caring and loving. Inuyasha stared up at his brother, loving him right then. He knew in a few more years Sesshomaru was going to be a strong swift demon, and Inuyasha was willing to learn while he still could.

"'Ni-sama? Can we go train some?" Inuyasha asked in a childish voice. Sesshomaru smiled at him, his fangs less pronounced.

"Sure, little one." Inuyasha felt himself lifted into his older brother's arms, and then they were speeding through the air. It was almost like flying. Giggling madly, the small boy put out his arms and pretended he was soaring. Smirking his amusement, Sesshomaru shifted the boy's weight so that his smaller brother was under one arm and thus barely supported by him. Giving one frightened squeak, Inuyasha clang to Sesshomaru's side with one arm. Then he got used to it and let go, soaring again.

They stopped in the midst of a clearing. Setting the hanyou's feet to the ground, the older youkai set about showing Inuyasha what attacks he could do should someone ever threaten him. For a long time, hours, they practiced side by side. Inuyasha learned everything quickly, desperate to impress his brother. Together they went over martial arts style fighting, and even a demon-like attack. Iron-reaver Soul Stealer. It was dusk before either one wanted to stop practicing.

"Come on, little one. We need to get home before it's too late." Sesshomaru could tell that the small boy beside him was already half asleep on his feet. Lifting the boy into his arms, with one arm underneath his legs and the other supporting his back, the teen rushed off into the night. Jumping from tree to tree he felt the boy go still in his arms, surely asleep. An arrow hissed by his shoulder.

With a snarl Sesshomaru spun around to sight who had loosed the arrow. Running up to the tree at which he had stopped, several men came armed with bows and arrows. They pointed them up threateningly at Sesshomaru, and one man came forward to the trunk of the tree.

"Please leave us, demon. We want not harm to you." said the apparent leader, "All we want is a demon-free home."

"This is the area in which we choose to reside, so this is where we shall stay. It is our home as equally as it is yours. There is no law that says humans alone may lay claim to this forest." Sesshomaru growled at them, setting his brother down on the branch he was standing on. Inuyasha was leaned back against the tree, eyes closed tight. The youkai smiled before turning back to his enemies. "You cannot force me or my brother out of this forest."

"We have every right to. This land is ours, by law, and it is by law that we are entitled to kill trespassers."

"I'd like to see you try." Sesshomaru's eyes glowed a faint color of red. He jumped from the branch, landing smoothly on the ground. A smile danced playfully on his lips, his whole body tense and ready for the kill.

"P-please, sir." the leader pleaded, noticing how Sesshomaru kept flexing his clawed fingers, "We want not to harm you, and no trouble. Only do we ask you to please leave our village alone. You and your brother." He mumbled something, clearly thinking the youkai wouldn't hear him. Sesshomaru stopped dead, one claw raised in a threatening position.

"What did you say?" he growled, his eyes growing darker red.

"N-nothing." the man whined quickly, knowing that he had perhaps just made the biggest mistake of his soon-to-end life. Sesshomaru grabbed at the man with one hand and threw him up against the tree. His weapon fell uselessly to the ground, and his men scattered.

"Oh I think you did. What did you say about my brother??"

"I said.." the man trailed off. Sesshomaru whacked him harder against the rough bark. With a yelp of pain the man continued, "I said that he is a no account half-breed."

"And why, pray tell, would you think that?"

"Because," seemingly he knew his life was ending, so the man no longer cared about being polite to the youkai. "He is a horrible cross between human and demon. There is no purity to him. He will never be excepted anywhere, and he will never be loved. There is only hate for someone so ill-formed."

Eyes glowing a deep blood-red, Sesshomaru curled his claws into the man's neck, watching the blood flow out in hate. The man gave an agonized moan, his eyes rolling into his head. There was a scream behind the youkai, and he promptly dropped the man in surprise. Spinning around, Sesshomaru saw Inuyasha standing on his branch with horror etched into his face. The normal sparkle in his eyes was gone, replaced with a scared look. Ignoring his bleeding victim, Sesshomaru leapt up to the tree branch and kneeled down before his brother. The red of his eyes fading away he pulled his little brother closer to him. Putting a hand on each cheek he forced the small boy to look into his eyes.

"What is the matter, Inuyasha?" he asked. Tears crept silently down the small boy's face.

"You…you were going to kill that man…" Inuyasha cried.

"Inuyasha…" Sesshomaru started to say, but found he could not justify his actions to one so small and innocent. "Let's go." With his silky sleeve, the youkai wiped the tears falling down the small hanyou's face. Sweeping him into his arms again, Sesshomaru gave Inuyasha a quick hug before leaping away into the night again. But the man, not quite dead yet, had to have his final say.

"Some day that monster of a crossbreed will become an adult. When he does, demon, will you still love him?" A swift slash from Sesshomaru's whip silenced him for good. Inuyasha clung to his older brother's chest, letting the tears fall mutely and soak through Sesshomaru's shirt.

They found home, a small cave carved out in the rock by Father before his death. The cave was about half way up a tall mountain over-looking a small village. Beyond that village there was a vast forest, with a good sized lake. Inuyasha had always loved that view. Sesshomaru took his small brother into the back of the cave, where it was decked out to look somewhat like a human home. Carrying the small hanyou to his room, Sesshomaru set Inuyasha down on his bed. Pulling the blankets up, the youkai tucked in the smaller boy. Then sitting beside him, he wiped the tears from his small brother's eyes with clawed hands.

"Are you alright, Inuyasha?" He asked, running his fingers through the boy's silver hair. Inuyasha nodded, smiling up at his brother. The tears had stopped, though a few were still shining in his eyes. He didn't question his brother's actions any longer, deciding it must have been for the greater good. Smiling wider, Sesshomaru got up to leave for his own room. He was stopped however, by a small tug on his sleeve. Twisting the top half of his body around, he looked back down at Inuyasha. "Yes?"

"What the man said, about when I grow up…" Inuyasha said after a moment's hesitation. "Will you really hate me, like everybody else does, 'Ni-sama?" His voice shook a little and his eyes shone with fresh tears. Sesshomaru swooped down and pulled the small boy into a tight hug. He rested his chin against Inuyasha's shoulder for a minute before pulling back and looking lovingly at him.

"Oh Inuyasha." Sesshomaru began, "brothers do not hate. Not ever."

The colors were warping on his vision. Inuyasha could see little, but it was different from when dream slipped into dream. This was like watching the tape at fast forward, with everything flying by in a whirlwind. It halted to a stop, and Inuyasha began to watch it again, unable to turn away.

It was a memory of a later time, in that same place. Inuyasha was floating somewhere near the ceiling, watching a teenage version of himself about 14 years old below him. Standing at the doorway to the cave-house was Sesshomaru. In his hands he held a sword gleaming in the light, recently taken from the sheath that had clattered to the floor. On the ceiling, Inuyasha gasped as he recognized the Tensaiga, but the memory-Inuyasha gasped in confusion.

"What is that, 'Ni-sama?"

"A sword, obviously." Sesshomaru said in scorn. He was still thinking over the words the strange man had said.

The man had come on cow-back, flying through the air. He certainly was a strange old man, with tiny pupils that rolled around more then normal. Claiming to be an old friend of their father's, the man had given Sesshomaru the sheath.

_"It was created by your father and by me. I was told to give it to the oldest boy when the time came. It is called Tensaiga."_ the man had said in a wheezy voice, _"There is another sword, the Tetsaiga, buried with your father. It waits for It's master. Soon he shall claim it. Remember words of old, or it will come to your cost."_ Then he had rode off on his three-eyed cow.

"Sesshomaru? What is the sword?" Inuyasha asked.

"Did you not hear that man? It is named the Tensaiga." Sesshomaru told him. He was staring at the sword. He swept it, trying to shave off the window curtains. Nothing happened to the cloth, it remained intact. Staring in disbelief, Sesshomaru ran his fingers over the edge of the blade. It was dull, not sharp enough to cut paper. He growled his displeasure. Inuyasha sighed. It seemed that his demon brother had gotten more and more hateful with time. Less time was spent having fun in the hot springs, or swimming in the lake, or hopping from tree to tree. More time was spent training, or else spent apart. Sesshomaru would go off for long periods of time by himself, and Inuyasha would take care of the house. It felt as if they had grown from each other, as if they were now too different. Inuyasha hated it, hated that they were no longer like brothers. But like a good boy, he mentioned nothing to Sesshomaru.

"I don't understand. This sword must be strong, or Father would not have given it to me."

"Sesshomaru, it is not important. A sword is just a sword." Inuyasha paid for his tongue with a swift punch to the cheek. He went backwards, falling to the floor. The hanyou lay there, shocked and frightened too much to stand. As hateful as his youkai brother was getting, never before had he stricken Inuyasha. Now he did not seem to mind what he had done, and had turned his full attention back to the sword.

"The other sword. It must be waiting for…" But a thought struck Sesshomaru, and he spun around to face his little brother. Inuyasha scooted back, scared to death by the red glare of his brother's eyes. "It is waiting for you. Father gave you the powerful sword? Why? Why would he give such a weak boy such a powerful sword?"

"Sesshomaru…" Inuyasha could not think of anything to say. He was even more surprised by the blow that was dealt him. Then there was another, and another. Sesshomaru continually attacked him, damaging his ribs and making his breath come in short breaths. After a few minutes he stopped, staring at Inuyasha.

"How could Father give you the more powerful sword? He must have been out of his mind. No matter I will find it before you do. My destiny is to be the stronger one, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru started to turn, leaving his brother in a bloody pile near the door. Inuyasha stared back at him, unable to think straight. Something rose to his mind, and he reached up and tugged at Sesshomaru's silk sleeve. He turned again, angry. "What?"

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha spat some blood onto the floor, disliking metallic taste of blood in his mouth. The youkai above him scrunched his face in disgust, trying to turn and leave the house again, but Inuyasha still had a firm grip on his sleeve. "Sesshomaru, do you hate…me?"

"Yes, dear brother, I do. I have for a while now." Sesshomaru snarled at him, pulling out of his grip and walking out the door. He didn't tell Inuyasha that he only hated his little brother because the hanyou was stronger than he was. Inuyasha's next words stopped him dead in his tracks.

"'Ni-sama, brothers do not hate. Not ever." Inuyasha couldn't see Sesshomaru freeze. He didn't see anything after his finished his sentence, for he passed out on the floor of his house. Outside, Sesshomaru turned right around and looked at his little brother. He realized what he had done, and guilt racked his mind. For a moment he remembered all the things that they had shared, all the love they had once. But as he watched, Inuyasha's wounds slowly stopped bleeding and healed themselves. With contempt written on his face, but somehow not on his heart, Sesshomaru walked from the house and didn't look back again.

Color swirled into color, dream changed to dark night. Another light was already shining, another dream waiting to start. But Inuyasha's mind told him one thing before he fell back into it. 'I love Sesshomaru, and probably always will. Oh, Ni-sama.' If he could have, tears would have been coursing down the boy's face. Since he could not, the dream took hold of him and he watched, wondering what painful thing would put spell over him next.

A/N:Yah…I know it's not 100% accurate. But I like it. The Sesshomaru dream is the longest, mostly because I love my Sessy so much. Anyways, only a few more dreams to go. v


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